We are saddened to announce the passing of Loretta Sharun (née Johnson) on December 29, 2022, at the age of 90 years. Though it is never enough time, we are so grateful to have had her in our lives for so many years.

Loretta was predeceased by her husband, Joe; parents, Jerry and Adele; sisters, Florence and Lorraine; brothers, Georgie, Jerry, and Wayne; and many great friends. She is lovingly remembered by her daughter, Jo-Anna; son-in-law, Matt; grandchildren, Chloe and Noah; sisters, Joy, Barb, and Lois; plus numerous nieces, nephews, and other family and friends.

Loretta was born in Athabasca, AB, and raised in Busby, AB. She had a ton of entertaining stories about those early years growing up “with barely a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of,” as she used to say. At the age of 14, she came to the “big city” of Edmonton with what little she had and was fortunate to be taken in and given employment by a family in the Oliver area. Eventually she met Joseph Sharun, whom she married in 1955. They had one daughter, Jo-Anna, lovingly raised in the Newton community amongst neighbours who became close, lifelong friends.

Loretta had many jobs in those early years in Edmonton before working retail at Eaton’s where she finished out her career, pausing only to raise her daughter. By the time she retired, she was part of a tight community of co-workers, and those “Eaton’s Ladies” continued going for lunch on a regular basis for years after they stopped working. She also supported her husband, Joe on the family farm near Chipman every summer, which was the site of many memorable annual family reunions.

Loretta was a loving, doting, and devoted mother and those traits amplified when her two grandkids came along in the early 2000’s. Grandpa Joe died in 2004 when they were very little, so Grandma Loretta doubled up on the love and affection. Chloe and Noah have many fond memories of Loretta taking them bowling at the K-J Bowl in Newton and spoiling them with treats they rarely got at home. They had many sleepovers with lots of card games, and if it was a nice summer day, they would help her in the garden, run through the sprinkler, play with bubble wands, and eat meals outside picnic style. m

Loretta did a lot of volunteer work and was the sort of person who was always up for doing almost anything. She was selfless by nature and the first to jump in to assist when needed. She was fiercely independent, doing everything herself and then insisting on trying to pay her loved ones in those rare times when she would break down and ask for a hand.

Loretta could also be feisty, especially if she felt there was an injustice that needed to be remedied. Her many years in retail made her one tough customer - if she was on the wrong end of a transaction that didn’t meet her expectations, non-returnable items often resulted in being “magically” returned. That spirit of fighting to remedy a wrong made her stand up for not just herself, but for anybody she felt was not treated fairly. In her eyes, all people were equal; she would say things like “what does it matter if you were born pink, green or purple.”

She also had a terrific sense of humour, right up until the end. On her recent 90th birthday, when presented with a cake that her daughter made, she said with a smile, “Oh, maybe you should have bought one at the store.”

In the last few years of her life, she was so happy to have relocated to the Oliver neighbourhood where she first lived upon arriving in Edmonton all those decades ago. She was able to walk everywhere she needed and became very active with the amazing community of people at the Jewish Senior Centre.

She was well loved, and we will miss her dearly. A private family Celebration of Life will be held.

For those who wish, donations may be made in her memory to the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories.

Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories